Some of the most innovative and spell-binding literature has been written for young people, but only recently has academic study embraced its range and complexity. This Companion offers a state-of-the-subject survey of English-language children's literature from the seventeenth century to the present. With discussions ranging from eighteenth-century moral tales to modern fantasies by J. K. Rowling and Philip Pullman, the Companion illuminates acknowledged classics and many more neglected works. Its unique structure means that equal consideration can be given to both texts and contexts. Some chapters analyse key themes and major genres, including humour, poetry, school stories, and picture books. Others explore the sociological dimensions of children's literature and the impact of publishing practices. Written by leading scholars from around the world, this Companion will be essential reading for all students and scholars of children's literature, offering original readings and new research that reflects the latest developments in the field. "[T]here are some critical works with a scope that reaches out to anyone who has questions to ask of children's literature as a whole...The Cambridge Companion to Children's Literature is one of those books....this Companion is both stimulating and illuminating. Such critical insights sharpen our abilities assess what's hot off the presses." -Deirdre Baker "The variety of informative contributions contained within this volume―from focused analyzes of themes such as the animal figure or the body, to passionate arguments for form such as in Richard Flynn’s excellent ‘The fear of poetry’ (76–90)―and its elegance of structure ensures that The Cambridge Companion to Children’s Literature cannot fail to be of value to the reader interested in the parallel worlds of children’s books." -Naomi Milthorpe, Media-Culture Reviews "The chapters in the collection are broad but not typical in how they approach children's literature. As a whole, the collection is well structured and diverse in its critical approaches [...] As an introduction to children's literature, The Cambridge Companion to Children's Literature is an excellent, straightforward collection that covers the fundamentals. It is also a collection that inspires readers to delve deeper." -Matthew B. Prickett, Rutgers University at Camden, Children's Literature Association Quarterly "...each does what it sets out to do-to illuminate different ways of thinking about this strikingly complex subject, with its multiple audiences and their different needs. They would make good, complementary, companions on anyone's shelf." Peter Hunt,Newcastle University A wide-ranging introduction to an exciting and rapidly expanding field. M. O. Grenby is Reader in Children's Literature at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Andrea Immel is Curator of the Cotsen Children's Library at Princeton University, New Jersey. Used Book in Good Condition